Funding available

Investment Plan for Europe: EIB and OP boost access to finance for Finnish companies[4]. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and OP Corporate Bank signed a EUR 150 million guarantee agreement to support medium-sized companies in Finland. The guarantee agreement allows OP to create a new loan portfolio of EUR 300 million for companies with a minimum turnover of EUR 30 million. The EIB will take up to 50% of the risk of this new portfolio.

EIF and Amen Bank sign first agreement in Tunisia for innovative SMEs.[5] The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Amen Bank have signed the first agreement in Tunisia to provide EUR 60 million to innovative Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small mid-caps. The agreement will help Amen Bank to provide financing to innovative companies via new partnerships with universities, science and technology parks and business incubators. The guarantee provided by the EIF and backed by Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, will cover 50% of each loan helping ease the cost of financing to SMEs.

EUR 14.5 million to foster blue growth in the EU.[6] Innovation, marine litter, cooperation in the Mediterranean – the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund launched a call to foster a "Sustainable Blue Economy". With a total budget of EUR 14.5 million, the call will accelerate the implementation of the European maritime policy and the deployment of the blue economy across Europe and in the Mediterranean. ​